Key To Tony's Heart
by Bloodlustful
Summary: After the packs unite, Tony is pleased with his new life as the other wolves are, but the pain from an old wound comes back in the process, and it's hurting him a lot more than he lets on. Soon, after a day where he is silent and looks sad, Garth and the others go to see what the source of his pain is at night. The Craig David song "Key To My Heart" plays in this story's background


Time for me to write another Alpha And Omega fic, but this time, instead of being Humphrey-centered, Kate centered or Tony and Eve centered, it's going to be Tony centered! In this story that takes place after the movie, Tony is glad to have had the packs united even if it did mean breaking the longtime tradition he learned to accept the ending of for the happiness and feelings of others, including his beloved son, Garth. Unfortunately, he, despite not showing it, is hurting inside. A lot. Because seeing the marriages that took place between Kate and Humphrey, as well as Lily and the aforementioned Garth, made the pain from an old wound come back. The pain of the knowledge he lost his beloved, beautiful mate, who was also obviously Garth's mother, a while back, and how much he misses her, something he hasn't thought about for some time due to their being more important things for him to focus on, like the well being of his pack. But now that the door is wide open for him to look into personal matters without causing anyone a problem or ignoring his duties and responsibilities, Tony's heart is torn open and an ancient sadness comes back to bite him like a rabid wolf. How will he cope with it, and can anyone give him the kind of consoling he needs? Let's find out together. Craig David's song "Key To My Heart" is featured in this story. Though I suppose the title might give that away, but still.

THINGS TO NOTE:

This story takes place two days after the events of Alpha And Omega.

I own none of the characters. They all belong to Alpha and Omega and therefore to Lionsgate Studios. I don't own the song "Key To My Heart", either, as it is created and sung by Craig David and thus belongs to him.

This story was partially inspired by the scenes in that 2001 movie "Osmosis Jones" in which the titular character is depressed and fired and parts of this song are playing during those scenes. If you've seen Osmosis Jones, then you know what I'm talking about. It was also partially inspired by an Eve and Tony OC on this very site, written by The Pack and titled "Cheering UP". It's a very good story, and I like it, so I'm glad it was part of my inspiration for this fic. My thanks to The Pack both for writing that fabulous story and for helping to inspire this one.

Key To Tony's Heart

While happy with his new life, Tony could not feel 100% happy about anything. Why was this? For one very simple reason. Yes, it was good that the packs had at last come forever together as one, yes, he was pleased about how his son had found happiness with Lily and, in spite of a long law and tradition being broken, it was worth it for that reason and for how he was now living with his dearest longtime friend, Winston, and yes, it was a blessing of good fortune that the future was promising and bright for every wolf living on this mountain of the Canadian wolf home that was Jasper Park. However, this did not mean Tony wasn't hiding an angst, and sure enough, he was hurting inside substantially more than he let on. Though he kept it an utter secret, this would be made known to other wolves than himself one night when he, during the daytime before that night, had been surprisingly silent. In fact, if they weren't able to see him with them, they'd have guessed he wasn't there, he'd been so quiet. This caused them to get a bit confused and concerned, especially since it could mean something was the matter.

So that night, Garth decided he would see what was troubling his father, and said that the others should listen close to Tony's den, which he'd enter, but still out of sight and quietly. The others agreed to it, and everyone waited until Tony had gone into his den for the night. As soon as that happened, Garth walked as quietly as he could over to it, with the others following him just as lightly and silently shortly thereafter. Making sure everyone but himself was behind the walls of Tony's den and thus concealed from sight, Garth walked into Tony's den slowly and in a few moments, after he was quiet and seeing that his dad was lying down looking morose, he'd say: "Dad?" "Hmmm? Who's there?" asked Tony.

"It's me, Garth." Garth replied. Tony, feeling too sad right now to lift his head, and thus not turning to look at Garth like he usually would when the two talked to each other, responded: "Oh, hello son. What brings you here?" Garth could tell by Tony's voice that his father was very determinedly trying not to cry, but was indeed on the verge of shedding tears. He answered him by saying: "I can't help but notice…today, you were unusually quiet. And from the way that you looked, something had to be eating you, because I saw a pretty unhappy expression on your face and so did the rest of us here on this Jasper Park mountain. So don't try to bottle it all up and act as if you're not hurting inside, dad. That's only going to make the pain worse. And the problem more complicated for you and everyone around you. Tell me, your son, what's wrong."

Tony sighed and accepted the inevitable, turning his head slowly to look at Garth, who quickly saw that his sad looking eyes were brimming with tears. Tony then whispered to him in a quiet, soft tone of voice which was barely audible even to Garth and the others outside of the den being in close range and having the sharp hearing which all wolves do: "It's my mate, she who is your mother, Garth…" He took a deep breath and tried to fight back his tears, then continued on: "I haven't thought of her for some time, especially since there were recently far more urgent and immediate things to focus on, but now, NOW…after two days where we've prospered and not been in any sort of predicament…the memory of her comes flooding back…" He was no longer able to hold back his tears. They rolled down his face and he kept up: "…you and Lily marrying along with Humphrey and Kate, though a beautiful turning point in our lives and the history of the two packs which are now one…made me remember her…Anna…my love…your mother…in addition to how close we were, and how close you were to both of us…and yet how she would die when you were only half grown…from contracting the Ebola virus…a disease rarely caught here in Canada…but this was one of those very few times…and how sad we both were…the way I would miss her forever and so would you…how sad I was…how sad you were…and I even, at times…wish I'd died as well…though while remembering you needed me and so did the Eastern pack…"

Garth opened his eyes widely and could not help but shed a single tear from each eye. He wished his mother, Anna, was still around, but all Tony had said was true. Despite being a good mother to Garth the same way Tony was a good father to him, and despite how much she and Tony loved each other and Garth, who in turn loved both of them, Anna sadly caught one of the very few Ebola viruses to ever make its way to Canada, quite by chance and unexpectedly. Her life was cut short soon thereafter, and both Tony and Garth, along with the rest of the Eastern pack, did a howling requiem for her. Though her last words were that she loved them both and would always watch over them from heaven, they were still both heartbroken as could be. And now, the past had made its way into the present, with Garth crying a single tear from each of his eyes both due to this and to seeing what emotional and spiritual agony his father must be in.

"Oh, Dad…" Garth gasped, walking over while ignoring the two tears on the sides of his face. He nuzzled Tony and said: "I had no idea…my God, you must be heartbroken…suddenly remembering Mom…" Tony nuzzled back, and in the background, these words could be heard being sung, though no wolf was singing them. They could just be heard.

_Lonely hours, lonely days. Never meant to drive you away from me. I should've listened to you, lady, and what you had to say. If only..._

Tony managed to get his crying under control enough to say to Garth: "Yes…I have not felt this upset and vulnerable for a long time…but now…remembering Anna and how empty on the inside and in the soul I feel without her is coming back…with a vengeance…coming back to bite me like many of us wolves might bite a caribou intended as a prey animal…" He thought on back to the good times with Anna, and how he wished so much those times could be part of the present and new life these wolves were in. More sung words were heard in the background.

_I never knew how much you feel for somebody after you've let them go(let them go). And you find out that it's too late to let your feelings show(feelings show). And even though I've done you so wrong, don't you know, like I know, baby..._

"I wish those times could still be existent, too, dad…" Garth wept, wrapping himself around his father after lying down, and holding his father close to him as he cried. Tony put his front legs around Garth in the form of a hug. "But she'll always be with us, even if she isn't any longer physically here…" "Yes, of course she will…I know…but if only she could have stayed in the land of the living…it was a one in a million chance she'd catch that virus…" Tony let out in choked sobs, more tears coming out of his eyes. And more words got sung in the background.

_You see you've got the key to my heart, girl. Unlock me and take all my feelings apart. 'Cause when you said you had to leave, had to go away…_

"Yes, it was, dad…" Garth squeezed out before a second tear came out of each eye and he hugged Tony tighter and vice versa. "But still…sometimes, the time to go…of a wolf…or of any creature…comes earlier or later than expected…and after she caught that Ebola virus…we did all we could…but it was just her time…I wish I could say differently as much as you do, but neither of us…can deny, ignore or overlook the truth…I don't like being motherless. Just like you don't like being without a mate…but we don't have any choice but to cope with it…" As he broke into another weeping after saying this, it hurting both him and Tony all the more that they knew Anna was not here to comfort them for obvious reasons, more words could be heard being sung in the background.

_You closed the door on me. You threw away the key...I'm starting over; I'm feeling down. Still can't believe that you're not around. I should've been there for you, baby…_

"Which is one of many reasons why I've done all I can to make sure you always get what is best for you, and so do all others I lead, but especially you, son…" Tony sobbed softly, feeling a new flood of depressed, heartbroken tears streaming out of his eyes. "Even as mom has been gone from us for so long, though…her love still warms us…dad…and you and I will always be able to count on each other…you helped me on my way to adulthood before and after she died, and now I'm going to help you on your way to recovery from this pain from an old, reopened wound…it's all right, dad…just let it out…" Soon enough, Garth was crying enough tears so that his mixed with Tony's, and there were more sung words being heard in the background.

_But now I'm crying on this melody tonight...I didn't realize there's no other remedy to numb this pain(numb this pain). But if you come back in my life. then maybe I can start to live again(live again). And even though you're being so strong, don't you know, like I know, baby..._

Outside, the other wolves had heard all that was going on and learned what was causing Tony such distress, and though they were silent about it, it saddened them to know Tony was in fact going through such torment and memory of a deep personal tragedy, and now Garth was, as well. So they hung their heads and closed their eyes for them, also listening so that while they'd leave them to sort this out personally with each other for themselves, they would be able to know how much success they had in the end. Meanwhile, Tony whimpered to Garth: "Thank…thank you, son…if your mother…was still here now…she'd be proud at what you've grown up to be, and what you've become…as well as all you've accomplished and all we both know you will of course continue to achieve…" Just then, he couldn't stop a new round of tears from coming out of his eyes, and Garth licked them away while Tony licked away his son's own tears, especially when Garth shed a new set of them, too. More words could be heard sung in the background.

_You see you've got the key to my heart(key to my heart), girl. Unlock me and take all my feelings apart. 'Cause when you said you had to leave, had to go away, you closed the door on me. You threw away the key..._

When once Tony had calmed down enough so he could at least stop crying, and Garth did much the same, they detached from one another but still lay next to each other. They both looked up to the night sky, and Tony said: "Anna, if you can see us and hear us from up there in heaven, you will always be in our hearts and you will never truly be gone to us." "Believe me, mom," put in Garth, "dad means every word of that, and speaks for us both. Your memory and all the hope, warmth, love and joy you gave us both is part of what helps us keep going even in the hardest of times, and I wish as much as dad does you could have been here to see two packs join into one single pack of friends and relatives, not rivals. You'd have fit in with it beautifully, like all of us have…" They both looked to the starry night sky with sad, mournful(albeit tearless)eyes, and the two of them could almost see her visage in the stars, both made up of stars and of soul energy and spiritual essence. Just as they finished looking at it, both said softly: "You are, always and forever, our most precious and permanent of memories." and turned around, further sung words could be heard in the background.

_And every day and night, I'm thinking about you constantly. Now I know for sure how much you really mean to me, yeah. Sometimes I get a rush and I see, how we were meant to be, lady..._

Tony and Garth, at this point, were just about to lay down full, close their eyes and go to sleep, but when they'd done all of that except the eye shutting, they saw Eve, Kate, Lily, Candy and Sweets enter the den. Eve spoke for all of them when explaining both how they were outside of Tony's den, wanting to know what was going on and why Tony was so disheartened, and also that a short, whispering discussion had been made among them, and it was decided that, on this night, Tony and Garth, especially Tony, could use the company of females while they slept. So Eve, Candy and Sweets would cuddle up to Tony, while Kate and, quite naturally, since she was Garth's mate, Lilly, would snuggle up to Garth. In both cases, it would provide much needed comfort, companionship, comfort and soothing, something that Garth and Tony, particularly the latter, readily accepted the offer of. The five she wolves spoke for themselves and everyone who was still outside of the den when they gave their condolences to Garth and, to an even greater extent, Tony(though both got plenty of sympathy)and then all seven of the wolves in that den closed their eyes and went to sleep, while one last string of sung words was heard in the background.

_You see you've got the key to my heart(key to my heart), girl. Unlock me and take all my feelings apart. 'Cause when u said you had to leave, had to go away, you closed the door on me. You threw away the key..._

As soon as the wolves still outside of Tony's den could tell everyone in was asleep, they themselves had a moment of silence for Tony's deceased mate, Anna, and then went to all their own beds, where, after this sort of night, they promptly fell asleep, and the lucky thing was, all of everyone who was a wolf on this mountain would see a much brighter, happier morning, and this obviously included Tony and Garth, the next day, and things would be considerably less gloomy and glum for them for quite a long time after tonight, and overall, this sad, tragic night of grief and painful personal tragedy memories would be left behind, even if Anna would still never be forgotten or truly lost or gone, even not being a living wolf anymore.

THE END

So, how did you like this first chapter? Rate and review please, everybody!


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